by David Schimmelpfennig
With holes in his shoes,
and dirt sweat stains on his t-shirt,
he stands half in the road
waving for you to stop.
He’d like you to park in this space
he has colonized.
For a couple of Rand
your car will be safe if you pay him.
He’s no vandal, but like colonizers before him,
without proper motivation,
property can end up anywhere.
Irrelevant to his making a few bob
is that this spot he’s got,
may be nowhere near
where you are going.
The customer is always right,
and you’ll be sure to know the answer,
so he whistles for you to stop.
And in case it isn’t where you want to park,
he tries to convince you
to walk from here.